Tire chains are better than Depends and preventing embarrassing wetness and odor, by stopping it at the source. Plus, the Depends don't help you drive at a reasonable rate of speed over snow-and-ice covered roads.

(For those of you who don't "get" this, large parts of the Seattle area are snowed in today. Seattle has minimal snow-removal capability, and they don't use salt... they use plows and sand. I have to drive over some hilly and curving roads to get to work... and there are places where my unadorned tires can't be trusted to hold me in place, much less provide traction while moving. And, yes, I'm terrified of losing control of my car on ice.)

Also: It's nice to have a parking garage in which to put on your tire chains. But, some tire chain manufacturers are flippin' *brilliant*, and have their instructions on water-proof plastic sheets. While that wasn't necessary yesterday, I'm posting a mental reminder to get a tarp and a blanket in my car as part of my winter safety gear.

In other news, I just purchased a lightbox. I don't know if I need it as much as I think, but I think I'd rather waste $250 and find out I don't need it, than suffer from depression and keep thinking I ought to buy a light box someday.

In nerve-wracking news, Chibi is wobbly and weak, throwing up, and doesn't have much appetite. Part of me is afraid he's dying. I'm going to Philadelphia on Sunday. If he's not doing better tomorrow, there's not a whole lot of non-worrisome endings to this story.